OSEA I Project Report - ifoam

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DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL ORGANIC AGRICULTURE STANDARD IN EAST AFRICA 2005-2007 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The East African Community encompasses Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda with a combined population of 120 million, a land area of 1.85 million square kilometres and a combined gross domestic product of $41 billion. The stakeholders in East Africa developed a regional organic standard in the period 2005 to 2007. This was facilitated by the IFOAM project Regional Cooperation for Organic Standards and Certification Capacity in East Africa (OSEA) and the UNEP/UNCTAD Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development (CBTF) project Promoting Production and Trading Opportunities for Organic Agricultural Products in East Africa. The East African Organic Products Standard was adopted by the East African Community as an East African standard, which means it became publicly recognized in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. In addition, the National Organic Agriculture Movements of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda established a common organic mark to be used on organic products in the region. Other accomplishments were: – the development of a joint inspection protocol for verification of compliance with the standard – concept development for Participatory Guarantee Systems as an alternative way of conformity assessment – production of information tools and materials and training of media Both the mark and the standards were launched in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania by the prime minister of Tanzania at the East African Organic Conference in May 2007. The launch was attended by more than 250 people, including the Swedish ambassador, the minister of agriculture of Tanzania and the minister of trade of Uganda. The OSEA project has been a real success both in its actual accomplishments and in the general boost it has provided to the sector. It has provided a good foundation for the future development of the organic markets locally, regionally and internationally. It has also provided the organic sector in East Africa with a common platform for international negotiations and recognition. Further, a working regional collaboration has developed on the governmental level, in the form of the East African Community, and between the national organic agriculture movements around market development and the management of the East African Organic Mark. A dialogue has also been established between the government and the private sector on policy. The experiences in East Africa can provide interesting learning points for other parts of the world. The whole process has been development-oriented. The standard and the mark are mainly seen as market-development activities to further the organic sector. Key words have been facilitation, not control; and inclusion, not exclusion. The consultations about the standards were extensive at all stages of the process, which made the final products both better and more acceptable to all. 4
DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL ORGANIC AGRICULTURE STANDARD IN EAST AFRICA 2005-2007 ACRONYMS AND TERMS USED ACRONYMS CBTF Capacity Building Task Force on Trade, Environment and Development EAC East African Community EAOM East African Organic Mark EAOPS EAS 456, East African Organic Products Standard EPOPA Export Promotion of Organic Products from Africa ICS internal control systems (see explanation below) IFOAM International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements ITC International Trade Center, Geneva KEBS Kenya Bureau of Standards KOAN Kenya Organic Agriculture Network NOAM National Organic Agriculture Movement (KOAN, NOGAMU and TOAM in the context of this report) NOGAMU National Organic Agriculture Movement of Uganda OSEA Organic Standards in East Africa PGS participatory guarantee system (see explanation below) RSTWG Regional Standards Technical Working Group Sida Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency TOAM Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement TERMS Group certification and internal control systems: Group certification is a concept developed over the last 10 to 15 years to allow producers to organize themselves in groups with an internal control system, which is then subject to certification by an external body. Participatory guarantee systems: Participatory guarantee systems (PGS) are systems for certification that emphasize the participation of stakeholders, including producers. Participatory guarantee systems share a common goal with third-party certification systems in providing a credible guarantee for consumers seeking organic produce. The difference is in approach. As the name suggests, direct participation of farmers and even consumers in the certification process is not only encouraged but may be required. Active participation on the part of the stakeholders results in greater empowerment but also greater responsibility. 5
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OSEA I Project Report - ifoam

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